Test tube holder



Patented Feb. 13, 1940 UNITED ,sTATE's TUBE HOLDER .801 Sydney Lichtman, New YorlnN. Y. Application February 10, lesaserial No. 189,895

My present ,invention relates to holders. y

Objects of my invention are to provide a test tube holder which will accommodate test tubes of various'sizes', to provide av test tube holder which is adjustable in height, to provide a test test tube tube holder which permits of ready view of the contents of the tubes, and to generally'provide a test tube holder which is sturdy, exceedingly useful in operation and inexpensive to manufacture. 1 My improved test tube holder is described in some detail "in my paper entitled A sectional test tube rack appearing in the Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine,'St. Louis,'vol. 22, No. 2, page 204, for November 1936; Although particularly useful. for enabling reading" of.

hemolytic reactions in connection, with bile salt determinations in body fluids, my invention may also be used to good advantage for the performance of; agglutination precipitation, hemolysis and the Wassermann reactions. vHowever, my invention, it is to be clearly understood, is not limited to medical use, but is also useful in other fields such as for colorimetric analyses and for many other uses.

Other objects and ,advantageswill appear as the more detailed description of my invention follows.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan" view of my test tube holder; Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof; Figure 3 is across-sectional view of Figure 2 taken along the line 3, 3

of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a sectional view of a modificationwherein by means of wing nuts and screw threaded studs, the test tube supporting member of my test tube holder may be adjustably supported with respect to thebase; Figure 5 is a partial perspective viewof still another modification in which spring means are used to adjust ably support a member of my improved test tube holder; and Figures 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views of other shapes which-the test tube sup porting member of my holder may have.

Referring to Figures 1, '2 and 3, my improved test tube holder comprises a base 2 to which are fixed in any suitable way a pair of spaced screw threaded uprights 4, 6 upon which are threaded the lower supporting nuts 8, I 0. Resting upon the lower supporting nuts 8, llland fitting, by means of suitable perforations, over the supporting rods 4, 6 is a test tube supporting member l2. This member l2 may be locked into place by means of the upper locking nuts facilitated.

3 Claims. milieu-44) Aligned holes are drilled, punched or otherwise made in the upper andlower surfaces'of the hollow member I2. Similarly, anotherrow or series of aligned holes 20 are cut through the side'faces of the hollow member 12. It will-be 5 noted that the side holes2ll are smaller than the holesl8 so as to accommodate test tubes of smaller diameter. When used for that purpose,

. the nuts [4, l6 are removed. The member l2 will be'lifted off the rods 4, 6 and rotated 90 do 10 grees so that the holes 24, 26 fit over the bolt studs 4, 6. The fasteningnuts l4, IB' may then be replaced if desired. Preferably, the series of holes 20 are cut adjacent the edges 28, '30 so that inspection of the contents of the tubes :may be Since thetubes are supported by the member 20 at relatively widely separated points, the entire row of tubes may be agitated without fear that the tubes will slip offfthe base member 2 0' aiiixed to the hollow. test tube member [2. By

manipulation of thewing; nuts 48;? the member l2 may readily be adjusted in height with respect to the base plate or platform 2. Also,rotation 35 of the member I2 is easily accomplished by loosening the wing nuts 48, thereby permitting another row of holes to accommodate a different set of test tubes into operative position.

An exploded end view' of still another modification is illustrated inFigure 5 Here again, as in Figure 4, to simplify the drawing, only the lefthand side of the test'tube holder is shown, it being understood," of course, that the holder is made of any desirable length and the sup- 451:

porting meansrepeated at the righthand or far side of the holder. In Figure 5, the base 2 and upright are bent out of a singlepiece of metal. The uprights 50 are provided with toothed slots 52 engaged by the double spring member 54. 50

The latter is frictionally androtatably riveted by means of rivet 56 to the end plate 58, in turn screwed or otherwisefastened to the test tube supporting member l2. The latter isillustrated similar to the member l2 of Figures 1, 2 and 3, 55

rotated 90 degrees, however,so that the smaller holes 20 are in operative position and the larger holes I8 lie in parallel vertical planes. Obviously, the spring clip 54 is first turned vertically so as to pass through the slot 52 and by pressing the free ends together, the member [2 may be moved vertically to a desired position, at which point the free ends of spring 54 are released so that the fiat depressed surfaces 60 engage suitable teeth in the slots 52. The row ofholes 18 may be brought into service, if desired, by rotating the member- I2 against the frictional action of the spring clip 54 and rivet 56.

The .member 12 may be given any polygonal shape.

, immersed in liquids without ill efiects.

My invention is particularly useful in the fields mentioned since it permits direct view of a row oftest tubes. I Also within the purview of my invention, as explained in my paper referred to a number of my test tube holders may be mounted upon a commonrack and a-complete I row or section or, in other words, acomplete. line of test tubes, may be removed by means of my improved test tube holder for simultaneous inspection and comparison.

It is to be noted that ofisettingof the holes in the tube supporting member permits one to hold an entire row of test tubes against the frosted glass surface of an-illuminating-boxfor precise differentiation in such matters as partial and complete hemolysis. v

I In the modification shown in Figure 4,-the end plates 46 may be provided with a hole internally threaded, in 'which case the stud 44 would be re-. placed by a suitable-cooperating bolt. 4

As a further modification-the member 12, as well as the-base 2, may be made of telescoping members. In this way, the entirelengthof the holder may be varied. Suitable setscrews. in the telescoping members will permit .fixed adjust! ment as tolength. a v

It is to'be noted that in-Figure 4, for the sake For example, as shown in Figureljfilzit may be made in the form of a hollow metallic hexagon 64. The opposedholes' 66', 68 and T0 are of different diameter so as to accommodatetesttubes of different sizes. Also, if desired, the member I2 maybe made circular in forman'dmay g fro'ml thescope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

J m-*1. llli 'tst tube holder comprising a hollow member, a,. serie s of aligned holes corresponding te'r'tdtest tubes of one size to be suppor-ted; the holes being .made through said hollow member, another series of aligned holes of another-'siz'e"for another series of test tubes made throughsaid; member, both said series of holes having their axes at an angle with respect to one another, abase, uprights. attached to said base, and-means forcausingsaid uprights to support saidmember in spaced relationship with respect to said base, said means being in the form of screw-threaded elements.

2. A :testtube holder comprising a member, a series ofaligned "holes corresponding in diametertov test tubes ofone size to be supported, the holes being made through said member, another seriespf; aligned @holes of another size for another series of test tubes made through said member," both :said series of holes having their axes at an angle with respect to one another, a base, uprightsattached. to .said base, and means for causing said uprights to support said member in spaced relationship with respect. to said base, said means being in the formof screw threaded elements. h

- 3. A. test tube-holder comprising a member, a series; of aligned, holes corresponding in diameter toftesttubes of one size to be supported, the, holes being made through said member, another-series of-alignedholes of another size for another series of test tubesma-de through said member, bothsaid series of holes having their axesatanangle with, respectto one another, a base, uprights attached to said base, and means for causing said uprights to support said member in spaced relationship with respect to said base.

i I I SOL SYDNEY LICHTMAN. 

